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Aznar accused of war crimes

Spanish Correspondent | 06.04.2003 12:10

Aznar will be brought before penal courts in Sapin and The Hague

Lawsuit filed against Aznar for backing war

A group of lawyers, judges and anti-war activists, filed a lawsuit against Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on Wednesday, charging that his support for the US-led war on Iraq is illegal.



The groups accuse Aznar of breaking Spanish law by involving
Thousands of Spaniards, mainly students, protest in the streets of Madrid during a spontaneous rally against the war in Iraq

the country in a military conflict without authorisation from both houses

of parliament and the King.



The lawsuit has been filed in Spain’s Supreme Court by the Free Association of Lawyers, Judges for Democracy and other anti-war groups.



It is the latest motion in a series of attempts to attack Aznar’s staunch support for US-led military action.



European parliament member Jose Maria Mendiluce filed similar charges against Aznar late last month, and the Spanish Parliament rejected two opposition motions condemning the war on Tuesday.



An official from Aznar's ruling Popular Party (PP) also expressed resentment on Wednesday.



Jose Miguel Bravo de Laguna, head of the regional parliament for Spain's Canary Islands charged that the US-led war was unjustified, morally indefensible, and had dealt a blow to European unity and to the United Nations.



Justice Minister Jose Maria Michavila dismissed the lawsuits as "unfounded", insisting that the government had acted in

keeping with international law.



Agencies

al-jazeera

Spanish Correspondent

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Let me understand this

06.04.2003 18:13

I understand that this site was set up to encorage free speach, so I am trying to work out the logic of the above statement.
As far as I am aware Spain has no forces on operations in the Middle East.
The suit against Anzar is being brought against him for expressing support for the action in Iraq.
So from what I can make out so far is that an attempt is being made to censor Anzar for expressing support?
Seems to be a case of do as I say and not do as I do.

UK


Wrong

06.04.2003 18:33

The Sapnish government has not only expressed its support to the war but has sent the carrier Principe de Asturias and the oil tanker Duque de la Ensenada besides troops for supplies support to the agressor forces of UK and the USA. This means that they are collaborating in the support of the war and therefore are part of the war themselves.
In front of this situation the Sapnish Constitution states that only the KIng can declare the war or sign the peace, which have to be ratified afterwards by Las Cortes Generales, the Spanish parliment. As none of this pre-conditions have been met, the Sapnish government is effectively in breach of the Spanish constitution, for what will be brought in front of the Tribunal Supremo of Spain. Furthermore, the Sapnish Constitution also states that the Spanish forces will not support a foreign army in the invasion of other country without the previous support of the international institutions such as the NATO, the European Union or the UN Security Council, a second breach of the chart. Other legal considerations have also been made to present the Aznar before the courts, as it is the international legislation declaring war criminals to those that invade a country without the support of the Security Council, or other international institutions with powers to do so, and without the umbrella of self-defense, per-conditions that are not met in the current invasion of Irak.

Also clarify, that have posted the new from al-jezeera because it is the only one that I have found in English, they do not have anything to do with the new, apart to inform about it, so your claim of free speach are groundless. I hope you understand the situation better now, and that you yourself, participate in bringing to your prime minister in front of the International Penal Tribunal in The Hague.

Regards.

Spanish Correspondent


facts

06.04.2003 18:36

Get your facts right. Spain has sent between one and two thousand soldiers to the Gulf, so the court case is totally justified. Havent you got better things to do than support ultra conservatives like Aznar!

pablo


FACTS!

06.04.2003 18:41

Get your facts right. Spain has sent between one and two thousand troops to Iraq. Havent you got better things to do than supporting ultra conservatives scum like Aznar!

Pablo